Heidi K Brandow is a painter and printmaker whose work is commonly filled with whimsical characters and monsters that are often combined with words of poetry, stories, and personal reflections. Hailing from a long line of Native Hawaiian singers, musicians and performers on her mother’s side and Diné storytellers and medicine people on her father’s side, she finds that her pursuit of an artistic career came natural. Currently represented by Zane Bennett Contemporary Art Gallery of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ms. Brandow is the mother of two young boys. A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, Ms. Brandow has also studied design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Istanbul Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey.
A pattern is a discernible regularity in the world or in manmade design. Generally, patterns are repeated in a predictable manner. The ubiquitous nature of patterns also indicates that it can be observed directly from any of our five senses. Aside from visual representations of patterns in art, design, and nature, an archetype can also be considered a type of pattern. Comparative anthropology and Jungian Archetypal Theory suggest that archetypes are omnipresent in all cultures as a constantly recurring symbol in literature, art, and mythology.
These elements create the framework for this current series of work entitled, “patterns + monsters.” These paintings offer layered information that is inspired by pop-culture, design, identity, and cultural history influences. “patterns + monsters” is a study on the juxtaposition of regularity and chaos that exist simultaneously with one another. Additionally, the development and consistent use of monster-like characters offer a playful nod to the recurring archetype of monsters found in all cultures.
